The present invention relates to the computation of advanced cardiac parameters from medical data and images by using a patient-specific multi-physics fluid-solid models of the heart.
The heart is the pump of life. The periodic contraction and relaxation cycle of the heart ensures blood circulation throughout the body. Heart diseases can affect the ventricle shape, the integrity of the muscle, the electrophysiology of the heart, etc., but the end result is incorrect or inadequate blood circulation in a patient. Hence, the ultimate goal of any cardiac therapy is to correct the blood flow, by acting on the various aspects of the cardiac system that may be affected, directly or indirectly, by existing pathologies in the patient.
Cardiac disease diagnosis and therapy planning are made difficult by the large variability in heart diseases. Every patient is unique. The variability observed among patients with the same disease is such that population-wise guidelines can be sub-optimal in terms of diagnosis, therapy outcome and complications for a specific patient. For example, patients with acute myocardium infarction can present with variable scar morphology and extent, which can influence the outcome of various cardiac therapies. Accordingly, a framework to assess the current state of the heart and the optimal therapy for a specific patient is desirable. Such a framework should be integrative and comprehensive, considering all major aspects of heart function, and focus on the end-result of any cardiac therapy, which is the restoration of normal blood flow.